In the social media, Rammstein had recently behaved rather defensively with their verbal messages. On June 3rd, after Shelby Lynn made the first allegations, the band posted on Instagram: “The releases of the last few days have caused irritation and questions among the public and especially among our fans. The allegations hit us all very hard and we take them extremely seriously. We say to our fans: It is important to us that you feel comfortable and safe at our shows – in front of and behind the stage. We condemn any kind of transgression and ask you: do not engage in public prejudice of any kind against those who have made allegations. You have a right to your point of view. But we, the band, also have a right – namely not to be prejudiced either.”
Now, a month and a half later, Rammstein is back on Instagram, this time to share a statement from Till Lindemann’s lawyers. The band apparently sees the “press release about Till Lindemann” by the law firm Schertz Bergmann on the “Spiegel” cover story as a success. The group now cites the following excerpt:
“None of the testimonies of the witnesses, who have given their information under oath or made to the SPIEGEL authors, bears the suspicion that women at Rammstein concerts were drugged with knockout drops/alcohol/drugs in order to be able to perform sexual acts on them.”
It is correct that the “Spiegel” was forbidden by court parts of their “Rammstein” reporting. But it is also correct that parts of their reporting were not prohibited.
In concrete terms, Rammstein’s quote seems to be about dispelling the suspicion of using narcotics or intoxicants with which women were allegedly made docile. Independently, the allegation of abusive behavior by Lindemann, but also Flakes, towards women is still in the room. The Berlin public prosecutor’s office is investigating against Lindemann.
The band’s next tour stop is in Paris on July 22nd and in Vienna on July 26th. Most recently, the Berlin police apparently thwarted an attempt to sabotage a concert in the Olympic Stadium.